Two Cuban nationals with reported criminal records were deported to South Sudan, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed during a press conference on May 21, 2025. The men, identified as Enrique Arias Hierro—allegedly convicted of homicide, armed robbery, impersonating a law enforcement officer, among other charges—and José Manuel Rodríguez Quiñones—convicted of first-degree murder, assault, drug trafficking, and more—were detained on May 2 and April 30, respectively.

They were part of a group of ten men, only one of whom is a South Sudanese citizen. According to U.S. authorities, the deportees were rejected by their countries of origin and other potential destinations, leaving South Sudan as the only nation willing to accept them. In its official communication, the Trump administration suggested that the crimes committed by these individuals were severe.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a researcher at the American Immigration Council and former attorney with the Justice Corps for Migrants, confirmed the men had criminal records. While some may have already served their sentences—a point also noted by Todd Lyons, Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—Reichlin-Melnick described their crimes as "heinous," though not unusual compared to others currently incarcerated in the U.S.

On May 20, federal judge Brian Murphy of Massachusetts issued an order prohibiting the Trump administration from transferring custody of the migrants to a third country. According to Reichlin-Melnick, the judge’s order did not bar ICE from detaining or deporting them, but required that the individuals be given an opportunity to legally contest their removal.

Reichlin-Melnick clarified that Judge Murphy’s order would be violated only if the deportees were actually handed over to South Sudanese authorities upon landing. During the press briefing, DHS officials stated that the aircraft would land in South Sudan but might continue to another destination—a detail that remained ambiguous despite repeated questions from reporters.

Later on May 21, Judge Murphy declared that his order had, in fact, been violated because the deportees had not been given a legal avenue to contest their removal and were sent to what he called a dangerous country.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, is also among the poorest and most unstable. Located in central Africa, the country is widely viewed as being on the brink of civil war or renewed violence. The U.S. State Department has warned its citizens against traveling there, citing high risks of kidnapping, violent crime, and armed conflict.

This is not the first time the current U.S. administration has deported migrants to third countries. Earlier in 2025, President Trump’s administration struck a deal with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to transfer some migrants to the Cecot, a massive state-run prison facility in El Salvador.

In February 2025, several media outlets published photos of Asian migrants deported from the U.S. to Panama, where they were seen pleading for help with handwritten signs from a luxury hotel repurposed as a detention center. Costa Rica, another Central American nation, has also temporarily accepted deported migrants who are nationals of third countries. Additionally, a separate group of migrants was sent to a large-scale detention facility at the Guantánamo Naval Base—technically U.S. territory.